MOSCOW, Nov 15, Reuter: Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev is making his second trip to India in two years this weekend in another sign of the increasingly close political and economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi. The Soviet Indian relationship dating back to a 1971 friendship treaty, has flourished especially since Gorbachev came to power in March 1985. The Kremlin leader called ties with India, “Wonderful” in remarks to a crowd in the Russian City of Oryol on Monday. The Soviet Union and India “were countries very different in many respects, but very close in spirit and traditions,” Tass reported him as saying. Gorbachey’s first trip to an Asian country as Kremlin Chief was to India in November 1986. He and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi have launched an ambitious program to expand trade, held huge cultural festivals in each other’s’ capitals and signed a flurry of agreements on military, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation. Moscow continues as India’s principal source of arms. Earlier this year India became Asia’s second nuclear maritime ensions as both countries try to power when it leased a Soviet Nuclear submarine capable of launching cruise missiles. Soviet and Indian officials shuttle back and forth to each other’s capitals every few months, and Gandhi has been. To Moscow to see Gorbachev on two official visits and two stopovers. During this visit, Gorbachev is on international security speech he Kremlin values relations with New Delhi as its closest friend in a region where the Soviet Union is competing for influence with China, Pakistan and the United States. His year the Soviet-Indian relationship is taking on new dim develop better ties with China. Orbachev’s stay in Delhi proceeds by just one month Gandhi’s landmark trip to China, a visit Gorbachev would also like to make as soon as possible. The Chinese are likely to figure prominently in the Soviet Indian talks. ‘I think they would discuss China even if Gandhi were not going there soon,” one analyst in the Soviet Capital said. he two men are also expected to discuss the future of Afghanistan, Soviet Troops are scheduled to withdraw from the country by next February 15 and both Moscow and New Delhi are vitally interested in what happens after that. lndian has not criticized Soviet Military backing for the Afghan government but has called for an end to all external interference in Afghanistan once the Soviet Troops are out, is a leader of the world non-aligned movement, India has also played a discreet role in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan. Afghan President Najibullah visited New Delhi in December 1987 and May 1988 orbachev leaves for New Delhi on Friday and returns to Moscow on Sunday.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 18, 1988
